This Article identifies the effects on young peoples perceptions of dance due to social class and status and which social classes are more likely to view and participate in different genres within the dance umbrella. "Audience research involving adults aged 16 and above undertaken by the Arts Council of England (2001), reveals that those from the managerial and professional classes are most likely to have attended plays, concerts, art exhibitions and operas." (Sanderson, 2008). Similarly, the attendance of Ballet and other 'high art' performances decreases with social classes in Britain. In 2004, Arts Council England created a New Audiences Initiative, "whereby arts companies are funded for specific projects intended to encourage those from lower social groupings to develop an interest in the art form." (Sanderson, 2008). However, from the companies reports, the success of reaching new audiences from lower social groups is questioned, and example of this includes:

"The Birmingham Royal Ballet, for instance, comments that despite its best endeavours there was only a limited increase in the numbers of those from lower social groupings during their residency in Sunderland, a city in the north-east of England. The audiences increased in size but this was because greater numbers from the middle classes took advantage of the cheap tickets advertised, often travelling some distances from Sunderland in order to do so." (Sanderson, 2008)

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Art in Schools:

At the time of this article, dance and arts subjects "within the National Curriculum remain minority subjects at all levels for most children" (Sanderson, 2008), arguably I don't believe this has improved. Many young people still don't get the opportunity to study dance as a subject in education until college or university, which for some people who have no other access to dance before this, it is too late. "The limited experience of the arts in schools is likely to contribute to the social exclusion of some pupils: in effect they are being denied the opportunity to benefit fully from a range of cultural forms." (Sanderson, 2008).

"Harland et al. (1995) report that the numbers studying dance during school years are very small (between 1% and 7%). Harland et al. (2000) found that dance was offered by just 32% of secondary schools for 11–13-year-olds and 23% for the 14–16 age group" (Sanderson, 2008)

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Attitudes to Dance:

The article identifies the influence that ones parents view on the arts may have for their children, and how they are usually related to that of their parents. From their research they found that "pupils who perceived their parents to be interested in dance were more likely to be involved in that art form" (Sanderson, 2008). 

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Bibliography; 

Sanderson, P. (2008) ‘The arts, social inclusion and social class: The case of dance’, British educational research journal, 34(4), pp. 467–490. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920701609349. (Accessed: 4 March 2024)